Max Factor Cosmetics: A History of Innovation

The Max Factor salon in Beverly Hills, California, remains an iconic spot for many aficionados of the makeup industry. This was the home salon for the renowned owner of Max Factor, Maksymilian Faktorowicz, a Polish immigrant who came to Los Angeles around the turn of the century. His innovative approach and collaborative efforts with the movie studios around him led to a firm whose successes continue to this day.

Max Factor’s products would be defined by their adaptive quality. In the early days of film, the methods of lighting and production were still being fleshed out, and the needs of makeup artists were changing yearly. As the discipline changed, so too did the necessities of makeup artists. This meant that to stay relevant meant constant reinvention, and luckily, Factor was a born experimenter.

Through his revered salon, Max Factor was able to create and master new makeups and cosmetics for a whole generation of movies – such as the legendary pancake foundation. The salon quickly became a place to be seen in Beverly Hills. Due to the connections with the movie industry – Factor was dealing directly with the studios by the 1920s – he was also able to pioneer the celebrity endorsement, which lent a great deal of glamour to the Factor name.

The firm had intended to keep their production local, but Factor’s children by then had decided that the firm could expand beyond its geographical sightlines. And it did so, becoming a global brand, and taking over many of its former competitors. In turn, it was finally acquired by Procter and Gamble in the mid 1970s, ending three generations of family rule.

While the leadership might change, the motif of this firm has gone unchanged from its early days. Browse Your Discount Chemists’ listings of this iconic cosmetic firm, and see for yourself.